Musings in the Dark: November 2011

11/30/2011

The Hunt (4/?)

Captain Spock agreed with Gerri’s temporal assessment and ordered that the ISS-E head towards Razmou Ohndri.  If they arrived before K’avir’s pon farr, they would merely orbit the planet until it happened.  Spock also assured Sheila that the ISS-E would remain in orbit until it was done.  He would not leave her on the planet for any extended amount of time; she would require medical attention once K’avir’s fever passed.

Sheila informed Trisha of the transport plans and Trisha’s engineers kept the coordinates locked in the computers and synched with K’avir’s communicator so that he could be beamed off the ship immediately.  The plan was for her to go to her quarters so that she could get her bag and change into her old uniform, and then get beamed down to the planet two kilometers away from wherever he would be.  She studied the topographical maps and devised what she hoped would be a reasonable course of action...at least for the first day.  When she and K’avir had their combat sessions, she worked extra hard to build up her stamina.  He always concluded each lesson with her having to try and get out from under him.  It was frustrating because she could not figure out how to move in such a way to get her torso and hips free.  There was no way that he would trap her with her legs closed; the situation would have been easier if he did.  She wriggled, she struggled and did the best she could.  But her husband was a solid mass and an immovable object.

In the confines of their quarters, she voiced her frustration.  “I’m going to be trapped underneath you for three days.  I’m going to starve to death.”

Ashaya, you will figure it out.  You must.”

“Glad to know you have faith in me.”

“You do not want to perish, and I will not survive if you do.”


Sheila tried to stay on alert to notice any subtle changes in K’avir’s behavior.  But she was distracted by so many little details unrelated to his pon farr.  There was her duty in sickbay, her duty to Nyota and the baby, and her irritation at not being able to figure out how to get out from under K’avir.  She studied diagrams and models of Vulcan physiques, but it was the mere fact that Vulcans were stronger than humans that stonewalled her.  But K’avir believed in her, and the situation was unavoidable.  Every second of free time she was able to get, she agonized over the problem.

One night, Sheila realized that K’avir was watching her intently while she took a sonic shower.  He was not in the bathroom with her; he was studying her through a mirror.  When she was ready to get out, he was there with a towel and he was serious about drying her off.  He did it whenever he could, but their schedules were so erratic that it had been some time since he was last able to watch her bathe or dry her off.  But tonight was different.  He picked Sheila up and carried her to their bed.  She was still damp and curious as to what he was doing.  That it might have been a signal of something deeper did not register.  He was not doing anything he’d never done before.

          He started sniffing her.  Sheila watched in growing horniness as her husband fondled and smelled her.  He moved over her at will, sniffing her breasts and navel and neck, between her legs and cheeks, her back...everywhere.  She was amused and aroused.  She knew he liked her scent; whenever she was near him, his nostrils flared ever so slightly.

“K’avir?”

“I am taken...with your scent,” he said.  “It arouses me.”

“Have you always been taken in this manner?  You’ve never been this brazen.  I mean, my scent hasn’t changed.  As far as I know, anyway.”

“It is different now; stronger,” he said. “It is powerful.  I like it.”

Sheila lay back and he spread her thighs wide.  K’avir buried his face between her thighs and instead of eating her, he smelled her.  Curious, she asked him what she smelled like.

          “I cannot describe it; there is no flower or nectar or anything that comes close to it.  It is you, ashaya.  There can be no other who smells as you do.”

          Sheila stared at the top of his head, feeling her stomach do flip-flops simply because K’avir had his nose between her thighs.  What he was doing was primal, but horribly sexy.  It occurred to her that it might be an indicator that he was nearing his time.  She did not say anything, but reminded herself to be watchful of other indicators.  They made love, and in regards to that, Sheila did not notice any changes; it was as intense and as passionate as always, and K’avir was as devoted to her pleasure as always.


The next day, she was running physicals on members of the crew.  It was commonplace for the captain to debrief his senior staff in the mornings, and they did it over breakfast in the officer’s dining room.  Sheila sat next to K’avir, who always sat on Spock’s right.  After breakfast, he walked her to Medical Bay and she did not see him again until the end of her shift.  When it was possible, he met her for lunch, but it did not happen often.  So it was a surprise for her to turn and see him in the doorway of sickbay.  Sheila looked at him.

“K’avir?”

He looked at her.  Sheila cocked her head.

“K’avir, are you all right?”

A moment passed, and then he said, “I am fine.”

Sheila looked at Shawn, her assistant.  “How many more patients are waiting that I need to see?”

“Two, but they’re currently in prep.  Vanessa and Rhona are running tests.  But I can see them.  You haven’t taken a break all morning; go on.”

Sheila smiled.  “All right.  Thanks.”  Then she looked at K’avir, whose eyes never left her; not once.

“Come into my office.”  She turned and he followed.  Once in, she asked him to close the door.  She put her PADD on her desk and turned to face K’avir, who was right up on her.

“Baby?”

He put his arms around her and drew her close.  Sheila smiled; this was something new.  He buried his face between her neck and shoulder and she heard him sniffing and felt his lips press against her skin.

“Honey...not that I mind, but what brought this on?”

He didn’t speak.  Sheila sighed and held on to K’avir, appreciating the wonder of him.  His hands wandered over her ass and she groaned.  He was aroused and actually pushed her up against the desk.  Sheila moved and put her hands on his cheeks and turned his face to hers.

“K’avir, did you actually come by sickbay to get some nooky?”

He was learning her weird little synonyms for sexual intimacy.  “You are my wife,” was his response.

“I know,” she said.  “But I never see you until the evenings.  Aren’t you supposed to be in Security or with the captain?”

“I am with you at the moment.”  He grabbed her waist and sat her on the desk.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Sheila said.  “I don’t mind a little afternoon delight, but...”

This morning, she opted to wear her blue one-piece, as she had not worn it for some time.  Sheila soon realized that it might not have been the best decision, as K’avir shoved her skirt up around her waist and gently pushed her down on her back.  Sheila tried to sit up, wobbling on her elbows and trying to get her mind around the fact that her husband was actually getting ready to fuck her.  In her office, during the middle of the day...an unheard-of concept.

“K’avir, I can’t do this now...I’ve got patients...please honey.  You can get as much as you want to lat--”

He knelt and shoved his face between her legs.  Sheila squirmed, as he had not bothered to remove her panties or shove the crotch to one side.  She gripped his shoulder, trying to get his attention.

“K’avir...I’ve got two patients...oh shit...!”  In seconds, her legs were over his shoulders and she bit her lip to hold in her sounds.  He had never behaved like this before, and moments later he stood, unzipped his trousers and entered her after finally yanking her panties to one side.  It was quick, dirty, and she had to admit, immensely satisfying.  When it was over, he cleaned her up and straightened her uniform and stole a kiss before leaving her in her office.  Sheila got herself together and realized that what had just taken place was a definite indicator that K’avir’s pon farr was soon.  A random afternoon fuck?  Her husband was duty-bound; for him to leave his post to have her spoke volumes.


K’avir normally escorted her back to their quarters when her shift was over.  But she left a half-hour earlier after grabbing some packages from the stockroom.  Once in her quarters, she removed her panties, rolled them up and slipped them into one of the thick plastic bags she got from sickbay.  She used an air pump to vacuum-seal the bag.  Quickly, she stuffed the pack into her bag.  Sheila went into her bathroom and used a damp cloth to wipe down the insides of her legs and put on a fresh pair of panties.  She’d keep as many soiled pairs as she could to use while down on the planet.  Then she contacted Captain Spock to let him know that they had to get to Razmou Ohndri as soon as possible.  He acknowledged.

Sheila wondered if they would have dinner in the dining room, or if K’avir wanted to do something else.  She sat in the chair and waited for him to come in.  When he did, there was a look on his face that she’d never seen before.  Sheila stood up as he walked over to her.

“K’avir, I’m starved.  Let’s go eat.”

“Why were you not in Medical Bay?”

“I had to run to our quarters for a moment, and then I thought I’d just wait here for you.  I’m tired; your unexpected visit drained some energy.  I’m starved.  Let’s go eat.”

She decided not to give him a chance to respond.  Sheila grabbed his hand and led him out of their suite.  K’avir followed and Sheila found herself babbling.

“Was there any reason that made you suddenly decide to come by and get a little piece this afternoon?”

“I want you,” was his response.

“You abandoned your post, K’avir.  You never do that.  Please tell me you were in Security and not with the captain.”

“I was in Security, and all is well.”

“I don’t want you getting in trouble with Captain Spock.  You’d better not shirk your duty for a piece of ass, K’avir.  Especially when you know it’s available to you at any other time.”

He didn’t respond and they entered the mess.  It was dinnertime, and it was crowded.  Sheila led her husband over to the doors that led to the officer’s dining room.  Trisha came over to her, followed by a handsome Native American male.

“Sheila.  I wanted to introduce you to Arvi Charman.  He’s on assignment from Starbase 255.3.  I don’t think you’ve met him, but he may be spending a day or two in Medical Bay, doing observations.”

Sheila extended her hand to Arvi.  “I’m Sheila Stephens, and this is my husband K’avir.  What will you be observing?”

Arvi smiled at her.  “Husband?  A pity.”

Arvi reached to take Sheila’s hand and to her utter surprise, K’avir stepped up to him and growled.  Arvi glanced up at him.  K’avir bucked in his direction and growled again.

“What’s your problem?”  Arvi asked.

Trisha looked at Arvi and gave one hard shake of her head.  Sheila didn’t even look at K’avir.  “Trisha, get him the hell out of here right now,” she said through her teeth.  

“Come on, youngun,” Trisha said, grabbing Arvi’s arm and ignoring the startled look on his face.

Quickly, Sheila punched in her access code and the dining room doors swished open.  She grabbed K’avir’s hand again and led him inside.  The doors closed.  To her relief, the dining room was empty.  She let him go and glared at him.

“K’avir, what is wrong with you today?”

He did not say anything.

“K’avir, you cannot antagonize men in the crew!  I’m the CMO...I’m going to have to deal with them.  You can’t be growling at them just because they introduce themselves!  I won’t put up with it.”

K’avir stared at her calmly, as if her words meant nothing.

“Do you hear me?  K’avir, are you listening?  You better be, so help me!”

He made his way over to the serving buffet.  “Would you care for Vulcan cuisine or human?  They are also serving Klingon and Romulan entrees this evening; though I do not care for gagh.  You may like the oozl twists, for they are tart and I know you do not care for very sweet foods.”

Sheila was aghast.  “K’avir, did you just ignore me?”

“You must nourish yourself, ashaya.  It is time for our evening meal.”

“To hell with eating,” she said.  “You just ignored me.”

“I heard what you said, Sheila.  I would never ignore you.  You do not wish for me to antagonize male crew members.”

“It will make my job harder if you do, and I need that not to happen, all right?”

“As you wish, k’diwa.  They have falafel and vegetable lasagna and those rolls you like.  What would you care for?”

Sheila sat down, suddenly tired.  “Whatever, K’avir.  I’m hungry and I’m exhausted.”

A few minutes later, K’avir set a plate down in front of her and sat across from her just as Trisha, Marlena, some department heads and the captain entered the dining hall.  Sheila started eating quietly, oblivious to the fact that her husband watched her intently as he took his meal.  Spock came over and sat next to Sheila.  K’avir turned his gaze towards the captain.  He growled softly and his eyes narrowed.  A moment passed, and he acknowledged.  “Sir.”

“K’avir.”

“Sir,” Sheila said, disturbed that K’avir had actually growled at the captain.

Spock studied K’avir as he addressed Sheila.  “How are you faring, Dr. Stephens?”

“Just fine, sir.”

“We shall arrive at our destination within the next 48 hours.  Will that be sufficient?”

Sheila shook her head.  “I don’t know, sir.”

“Be vigilant.  I can increase our speed if necessary.”

Sheila looked at her husband, who stared back at her.  “I think it may be necessary, sir.”

Spock looked at his security chief.  K’avir hadn’t taken his eyes off Sheila.  “I think you are correct, Dr. Stephens.”



The next morning, the senior staff were having their usual briefing with the captain in the dining room.  Spock announced that they were in orbit around Razmou Ohndri, and that they would be conducting yellow- and red-alert drills for the next few days.  Sheila noticed that he would glance at K’avir every minute or so, but K’avir didn’t realize it because he was staring at her.  Last night after dinner, they returned to their quarters without a word and she immediately began to disrobe to take a quick shower.  She closed the bathroom door in hopes that he would leave her alone.  But she wasn’t sure; she knew that his pon farr was near.  They had not yet arrived at Razmou Ohndri and she could not get him off the ship.  

She stowed her bra and panties into another vacuum pack and slipped it into her bag.  While she showered, she started thinking about her plan of action.  During lulls in Medical Bay, she studied Gerri’s data and knew she would carry her PADD with her just in case it was necessary.  She also knew she would have to make a trip to the armory to get another knife in addition to the one that was a part of her uniform.  As soon as she got out of the shower, she was going to send a message to Trisha so that she could be on alert.  

When she got out of the shower, he was waiting for her; naked, erect, and actually leaking while staring at her with that same calm eerie gaze.

“What if I say that I don’t feel like it?”

“Do not keep yourself from me, Sheila.  I do not like it.”

“But would you leave me be if I asked you to?”

“I would not like it.”

“But would you do it?”

He stood quietly for a moment.  “If you wish.”

Sheila smiled at him.  “I don’t wish it.  I was just asking.”  Perhaps if she gave him some, it would take the edge off.  She hoped, anyway.

Nyx mentioned during their conversation that a possible indicator of K’avir’s pon farr being imminent was if their intimate encounters became more intense.  “Harder” was the word she used.  Considering that he’d actually made a visit to sickbay just to fuck her, she felt that the ensuing encounter was just that.  He smelled her again and gently bit the insides of her thighs and her buttocks.  He sucked harder, thrust harder, pulled harder, and she felt as if it took longer for him to be sated.  But even with that, it was obvious that her pleasure was paramount.  He slept with his arm around her.  It took longer for Sheila to fall asleep, even though she was tired.

Sheila started increasing her caloric consumption not long after her conversation with Nyx, and she counteracted possible weight gain with her intense workouts.  She knew that it was necessary, and so enjoyed her lavish breakfast and ate all she could.  Marlena and Trisha joked about it, as did Nyota whenever she saw her.  She finished her first glass of tenaberry juice while still standing in front of the drink dispensers.  Tenaberry juice was loaded with nutrients and antioxidants and Sheila grinned when Marlena walked over to her, holding half of a pomegranate.

“Sheila, guess what!  The chefs finally got their hands on some pomegranates.  I’ve been begging for these ever since we left Dantouine II.  Apparently, they got them from Starbase 238.2, but waited for them to ripen before serving.  You’ve never had a pomegranate before, so you must try one.”  She handed her the dark red-seeded fruit.

          Sheila smiled and took the fruit.  She cracked the half into two smaller portions and looked at it.

          “It’s going to stain your fingers and tongue red, just so you know.  Bite into a seed cluster.  You’ll need to spit the seedlings out, but it’s going to explode in your mouth like an Andorian jujubee.”

          Sheila bit into the fruit and closed her eyes as it did exactly what Marlena said it would do.  “Omigod,” she moaned.  “This is fantastic.  Tell me they have more.”

          “Plenty, but they go fast.”

          Sheila wiped her mouth as juice dribbled down her chin.  “Marlena, this is excellent.  So juicy.”

          “You’ve got juice all over your lips, girl.”  Marlena said.  “I told you it stains.  But nothing a little water won’t fix.  Wiping it with your fingers only spreads it around.”

          Sheila took another bite, enjoying the fruit, oblivious to the fact that her husband’s breathing became labored and that his mind was now as red as the fruit she was eating.  The only thing in his mind was the brilliant white light of her scent.  He stared at her and his hands curled into fists.  Sheila sucked pomegranate juice from her fingers and licked her now-red lips.

          “Marlena, this is messy but absolutely wonderful.”

          Marlena agreed.  “Told you.”

          K’avir stood up.  Spock tapped his communicator.  “Commander Baker, lock onto the security chief’s communicator and prepare to beam him to the coordinates I gave you.”

          Sheila turned just in time to see K’avir stalking towards her, growling.  Marlena gasped as he violently kicked a chair out of his way.  Sheila dropped the fruit and headed for the door, glancing over her shoulder.  K’avir gave chase just as Spock gave Trisha the command and K’avir disappeared in a swirling beam of light.

          Captain Spock looked at Sheila, who was suddenly terrified.  “Go, Dr. Stephens.  Get your things and go right now.  Be careful.”

          Sheila ran out of the dining room and to her quarters.  Once there, she quickly put on her red sarong, a pair of utility boots, tied her hair in a red scarf and grabbed her survival kit and knife.  She tapped her communicator.

          “Trisha, it’s Sheila.  Beam me down to Razmou Ohndri, stat!”

          It was time for the hunt.


Soundtrack:
“Angel,” “Sly,” “Five Man Army,” & “Better Things”

11/26/2011

Who's Responsible?

Disclaimer:  When I use the term “black men” and “black women,” I specifically mean the collective and not the individual.  Not all brothers or sistahs exhibit the behaviors that I’m speaking of.  In fact, I personally don’t know any black men who do.  Sadly, I know women who do some of what I’m about to describe.

So my bff and I were talking about relationships and husbands and significant others and the like.  She’s going through some things in her personal life, and I’m her sounding board.  Granted, there’s little I can tell her in the way of marriage, but I do offer a unique perspective.  Anyhoo, she recited an instance in which a woman complimented her husband.  Her frustration lay in the fact that the woman, with whom she’s familiar, chose to do this at a time when she and their son were not present; in spite of having many times to do so when she is.  Her husband told her that the woman claimed to be so impressed to see him in church, and always looking so nice.

Our church is full of nice-looking black men, but she made it seem like he was a fucking unicorn.  I felt that the woman was trying to hit on my bff’s hubby.  My bff thought so too.  She said, “I know that we should be uplifting the black man and all that, but why couldn’t she have complimented him when I was standing beside him?”

I said, “Why is it expected of us (black women) to uplift the black man when they don’t uplift us?”  We are not responsible for the insecurity of our brothers.  We are dead last on the pole of upliftedness, and even though we are, there are some of our own who are willing to tear us down through some misguided sense of loyalty to men first.  Someone on FB, a woman and an advocate of Steve Harvey’s bullshittery, believes that he offers a beneficial perspective that some women refuse to listen to.  You’re damned right some of us do.  What perspective can a thrice-divorced not-very-funny comedian offer a woman on what to do to get a man?  As if being boo’ed up or wifed up is the most important thing in this world.  And as if he’s got all the answers on understanding what women truly want.  Black women aren’t a monolith, but everyone wants to treat us as such.

The point I’m trying to make is that it’s not the black woman’s responsibility to uplift the black man.  That should be something they do on their own.  I understand that the real point my bff was trying to make was that within the confines of a committed relationship, both parties should uplift each other.  That makes total sense.  But I hear this us uplifting them tripe from single and married women, and they sincerely believe that if they support everything a black man does, that they will be loved and accepted by them.  All you have to do is read the paper or go on the internet and you’ll see that the opposite holds true.  There are black men on YouTube and in every form of media that openly spit vitriol about black women with such vehemence that it’s disgusting...and to think they came from black women and are the fathers of black daughters. 

Why should sistahs support men who would kick us to the curb for a Becky in a hot second?  Why should we uplift men when it’s far more important to uplift ourselves?  No one will rush to our defense; our tears don’t work on the masses; we’re left to raise the kids; we can’t afford to break down…you’d think that sistahs would come together and elevate one another.  But we don’t.  We are truly a house divided, one which is destined to fall.

The black men I know are good and family-oriented.  All of them are married to black women, and I’ve never heard (or seen) any instance of them demonstrating dislike for any sistah.  And from the women who are their wives have mentioned that elevation comes from both sides of the union; not just one.   I’m of the belief that this applies to most men; it’s the 10% who do the opposite that garner the attention.  Just like it’s the sistahs that follow the stereotypes others have of black women are the ones most likely to get the attention, simply because they perpetuate the myth.  Those of us who don’t live the lives described in hood lit, on reality TV, or anywhere else, will never get noticed.

Likely it’s these same men who need selfless soundboards that are quick to blame “The Man” for bullshit they themselves have done or caused.  They always find fault or manage to blame someone else for their failures.  They can’t accept the fact that they’re responsible for their own lives, and those of the families they may have.  It’s always someone else’s fault, and the woman in his life, if she doesn’t agree or support him, is betraying him.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for supporting men (and women) who actively seek to live better and have no problems elevating themselves.  But to expect me to do it for them is to ask for a whole lot.




Suggested Reading:   As a man, you want respect...



11/24/2011

The Hunt (3/?)

Sheila immediately began making preparations after her conversation with Lt. Nyx.  She put together a survival kit that contained nutrient hypos, tranquilizers, adrenalin shots, a medical kit, two extra communicators, bandages, and anything else she thought she’d need, even a rope and a sleep pack.  She had everything secured in airtight bags for packing ease.  The intimate items Nyx spoke of, Sheila decided to wait until the last possible minute before stashing them in her bag.  She kept her survival kit in the back of her small closet and started readying her mind and heart for the impending event.  Nyx also cautioned her to be vigilant in her interactions with K’avir.  Anything out of the ordinary could be deemed as a possible indicator that his pon farr was nearing.   Gerri, the exobiologist, was currently on assignment and due back within the next couple of days.  Sheila intended to see her immediately.

She kept her thick hair secured against her head in twists because she didn’t want anything extra to deal with when it was time for her to go.  K’avir didn’t care for her hair being restrained; he liked it when she wore it loose.  But he didn’t say anything about it, for he knew why she was doing it.  Their combat sessions became more intense as K’avir instructed her on the use of her brand new sword.

One night, they stood across from each other in the gym, both holding their swords.  Sheila wore her tank top knotted under her breasts and her usual pair of shorts.  She stared at her husband, who was staring back at her.  His eyes roamed over her body and she knew he was looking at her bruises from the other night.  They’d engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and Sheila was able to knock him to the floor a couple of times.  She was getting stronger and stronger, and K’avir had his own injuries from his new bride.  It was a turn-on for both to see the other’s battle scars.

She moved into an L-stance and held the sword in both hands.  K’avir looked at her.  “Come at me as hard as you can.”

Sheila nodded.  She took a breath and charged, not swinging the deceptively light blade until she was right upon him.  He was a half-foot taller than she was, but it wasn’t a deterrent.  Sheila had been fighting K’avir for almost three months and she knew how to move around him.  He blocked and she turned on her heel, bringing the sword around in a smooth, beautiful arc.  K’avir jumped back and Sheila lunged forward, thrusting the blade.  He moved to one side and her momentum carried her, causing her to lose balance and fall.  Sheila let the sword leave her hands; she was not about to fall on it and injure herself.  Quicker than quick, she bounced to her feet just as K’avir came towards her, swinging the blade.  She jumped back, barely avoiding him until her back hit the wall mat.  He stepped in front of her and held the blade to her throat, his amber eyes gleaming in the dim light.

“Unacceptable, ashaya.”

Sheila’s heart raced and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.  She swallowed, meeting his gaze and smiled.  “Is it?”

“You should not be in such a position.  You know that I will cut you.”

Sheila nodded.  She had been one of K’avir’s students when the ladies of the ISS-E first began combat training, and out of all of his female students, she was the only one he actually hit.  With the others, the blows were simulated, but Sheila did not want to pretend to fight; she wanted to fight.  She could take a punch, especially after being abused by Lenny for so long.  K’avir was reluctant to do it at first, but she insisted and so he did.  He pulled his punches, but always threw them.  It helped her become a better student faster and she was fearless.

“Cut me then,” she said.

He pressed the blade to the side of her neck and made an inch-long slit.  Blood beaded, but it was not enough to cause concern.  He stared at her and then stepped back.

“Again,” he said.

Sheila picked up her tachi and moved back to the center of the mat.  K’avir held out his sword and pointed it at her.  Without warning, she yelled out a battle cry and bumrushed him.  She brought her blade down in a wide arc and he jumped back, but not in time to avoid the tip of the tachi.  It left a long thin weal across his abdomen.  Green blood oozed and Sheila cackled.  K’avir swung his sword and Sheila ducked, and, moving the way he taught her, came back up and and cut him again.  Then she backed up and prepared herself to get knocked down.

“Excellent,” he said.

“I have a good teacher,” she said.  “But surely that is not all for tonight.”

He looked at her for a moment and then threw his sword at her.  Sheila jumped to one side just as the shiny blade sailed past the place where her head had been.  Shocked, Sheila screamed and ran towards him with her sword held high.

“You actually threw your sword at me, K’avir???”

She went to bring it down but he grabbed her fists and shook the tachi out of her hands with one hard yank.  The sword slid across the room.  Sheila gasped as he grabbed her forearms.  Then realizing it was part of the lesson, she calmed herself and brought up her knee.  K’avir released her and she jumped, kicking him in the chest.  He fell down and she was on top of him immediately, punching him in the face.  K’avir absorbed three of her punches (he was going to have a black eye the next day) before scissoring her and rolling over.  Sheila wriggled in a futile effort to get from underneath K’avir, but she was expertly pinned.  She pummeled his shoulders but nothing was going to budge the 235-lb brick wall that was her husband.

“I will not yield!” she hissed through her teeth.

“You had better not,” he replied.

“Get off me!”

“Make me,” he challenged.  “If you can.”

It took a moment for Sheila to realize that she was in the position Nyx spoke of; pinned underneath K’avir and unable to move.  He had her trapped and calmly gazed down into her eyes.  What if this happened during the event?  How could she possibly move if he was unconscious?

She decided to ask.  “K’avir, I need you to tell me how to get out from under you.”

“You are not willing to make the attempt?”

“It’s not that,” she said.  “I was just thinking that...that this might be a position I’m in when you have your time...and I don’t want to be stuck.  I’m trapped right now and I haven’t a clue as to how to move you.  You’re heavy and I can’t lift you.”

“Sheila, I cannot tell you that.  You must figure it out.  But what you ask is fair.  However, there is nothing I can say to you to assist you.  We will incorporate this into your training.  Now rely on your wiles and intelligence.  Try to move away from me.”

She closed her eyes and took several breaths.  Then she tried to lift and wiggle her hips, but he did not move.  Then she pushed up on his chest, but he did not move.  Frustrated, she sighed.

“I can’t.”

“I do not accept that from my wife.”

“K’avir, I don’t know what to do.”

“Let this be something you cogitate on,” he said.  “If this is a potential scenario, then you must be able to get out of it.  I will not accept your giving up.”

“I won’t accept it either,” she said.

K’avir rolled off of her and helped her up.  Sheila bit her lip as he went to retrieve their swords.  She was going to have to come up with some original ideas in order to handle this thing.



Dr. Gerri Thibodeaux was five-eight with a complexion as brown as pecans, long hair and a brilliant smile; which scuttlebutt said had the attention of at least five guys on board the ship. Marlena confirmed that Gerri was actually being courted by three of the five, but she had not made a decision as to which guy she wanted to be with.  Gerri was a warm, friendly spirit; quick to make a joke, and had extensive knowledge in her field.  Captain Spock snagged her from Starbase 238.2 along with Lt. Nyx, and quite a few others.  Sheila, wanting to keep her situation under wraps, had Gerri meet her in her office in sickbay.  When she showed up, smiling and holding a couple of PADDs, Sheila felt her tension melt away.  

“Don’t worry,” Gerri said.  “I already know.  Captain Spock sent me a private communique. I started querying the moment our conversation was done.”

“What did he tell you?”

“That you need to be planetside for a few days.  He didn’t say when, but that it was of the essence I find a suitable place.  Now you don’t have to divulge specifics, Sheila, but I have to know some things so that I can give you proper information.  Whatever you tell me will be confidential.”

“Uh, well...K’avir’s going to go through a period where he’s chemically imbalanced, and...I’ll have to hide from him.”

“Pon farr?  Oh, okay.”

“You know about it?”

“I’m a xenoarchaeologist as well as an exobiologist.  My first dissertation was on Pre-Reform Vulcan culture.  Pon farr came up quite a bit in my research.  It has its own chapter.”

Sheila couldn’t help but giggle.  “I’d love to read it.”

“I’ll beam it to you once I get back to my  office.  Anyway, so your gorgeous husband is going to get a bit...rough...and the captain thinks it’s best that K’avir’s planetside so that his time doesn’t disrupt life on board this starship.  It’s a fantastic idea, actually.  It will keep everyone safe.”

“Exactly.  I was told that I’d have to hide, and that a place with trees and caves would be good.  He’s going to track me by scent, but I don’t want to be seen either.”

Gerri started diddling with her PADDs.  “Considering where we are, there are two good candidates.  One is Razmou Ohndrii, which is seven light-years away.  Razmou Ohndri is a small M-class, but it’s uninhabited.  It’s the fifth planet in the Jarou system.  Razmou Ohndri is a very warm and humid tropical planet, and a large portion of the planet’s surface is water.  Scout research indicates that there is plenty to eat; the trees are laden with various fruit, and there are edible grasses and herbs that you could consume.  I can beam you images of the plants and fruit in question and you can read up on them to determine the best combination of medical benefits.  There are caves as well.”

“What’s the other choice?”

“Kateri Prime.  It, too, is a very warm planet, and it has areas of dense foliage and an extensive cave network.  Kateri’s vegetation also thrives.  I can send you information about the planet.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

“Kateri Prime is closer to us than Razmou Ohndri, but it is inhabited.  There’s about two billion residents spread out over the planet.  The forests that I’m thinking about are near occupied lands.”

Sheila immediately shook her head.  “No.”

“You don’t want anyone around who might be able to help you, should you get severely injured?  I understand the ship, because we’re all so close together, but you don’t want anyone else around at all?”

“You said it yourself, Gerri.  I need for people to be safe.  K’avir almost killed a man because he put his hand on me.  And that was when he was rational.  What in the world do you think is going to happen if some innocent farmer tries to help me bandage my wounds and falls into K’avir’s line of sight when he’s insane?”

Gerri shook her head.  “Point taken.”

“Razmou Ohndri is the best choice.  How soon can we get there?”

“Do you know when this is going to happen?”

“Soon.  But the date itself, I can’t tell you.”

“At warp 6, we’d be there in six days.”

“If his symptoms manifest themselves quickly, I won’t have six days.”

Gerri did a quick mental calculation.  “Warp 7 would get us there in 3.8 days.  Warp 8, 2.5 days.  I’m not sure how fast Captain Spock is willing to travel.”

“He’ll do what’s necessary to keep everyone safe.  But I think it’s sensible if we go ahead and start heading in the direction of Razmou Ohndri.  We can cut out some time if we have to go into warp at a closer distance.”

“Do you know what you’re going to do?”

“I spoke with Hinora.  She offered suggestions.  And now that I know where we’re going, I can have coordinates ready to give to Trisha.  My plan is that when it’s clear K’avir’s going into heat, Trisha will beam him down first so that I can have a chance to get my bag.  Then she’ll beam me down several kilometers away.  I won’t have a chance to check the lay of the land.”

“I can help.”  Gerri diddled on her PADDs some more.  “The best place on Razmou Ohndri that will suit your needs is the chartered Taini jungle.  There’s a large body of water and extensive cave systems.  I don’t recommend going too deep into the caves.  Not that there are predators in the Taini; they’re elsewhere.  It’s just that you’re not a spelunker, and you don’t want to get stuck.  I’ll beam  you the data for the Taini and you can choose your coordinates from there.  That way, you’ll know where the water is, where the caves are, and there is a giant waterfall.  The images the scout team sent back are beautiful.”

“I like that idea.  I will have some time to study the layout.”

“You’ll want to, at any rate.”

Sheila nodded.  Gerri started typing on her PADDs and soon, Sheila’s own PADD chimed.

“There’s your data,” she said as she tucked a long strand behind her ear.  Then she looked at Sheila.  “Can I ask  you something?”

“Sure.”

“Are you scared?”

Sheila examined her fingers.  “A little.  I mean, I’ve never been in this situation before.  I know it’s violent and dangerous.  I know he’s going to fuck me senseless.  I know I’m going to have injuries, possibly a broken bone or two, bite marks, deep scratches, stuff like that.  I know he won’t stop until the fever’s passed, which will be at least three days.  I know he’s going to have me in any way I can be had.  I’m a little scared, but I’m more afraid of the fact that I’m looking forward to being his prey.”

“Really?”

“It’s a turn-on.  When I think about how he’ll be, I can’t help but get horny.  It’s insane.  I’m supposed to be civilized, but there is nothing civil about what’s he’s going to do to me once he tracks me down, and there is nothing civil about my response to it.”

Gerri stood up.  “Well, you be careful, Sheila.  You’ve got some things to think about.  I can tell the captain what we discussed, if you want.”

“No, I’ll do it.  Thanks, Gerri.  I appreciate this.  And please, keep this between us.”

“Absolutely.  I don’t know if I’ll see you before you have to go, so I’ll wish you luck now.  Sounds like you’re going to need it.”